Hamburg authorities have announced that a ban of diesel cars of the Euro-5 standard and older will take place from the end of the month. City officials erected signage last week for its ban on diesel vehicles in certain areas of the city, as the country's air quality measures and backlash against diesel steps up a notch.

Officials from the north German city were awaiting a court ruling as to whether they could ban cars up to and including Euro 5 diesels, or extend to pre-Euro-6 cars (pre-2014). The less strict ban will be implemented.

The ban will come into effect on 31 May, with around 100 signs already in place directing older diesels away from two streets in the city, suggesting alternative routes. Critics suggest that this may be counter-intuitive, forcing older, dirtier diesels to drive further in the city centre to get to their destination.

City councils in Germany were granted the right to legally ban diesel vehicles from their centres, following a new ruling by the country’s Federal Administrative Court in February.

Stuttgart and Düsseldorf were given permission by the country’s highest court to prevent older, higher-polluting models from driving into certain areas, opening the door for other cities to take action of their own to cut emissions.

Like the UK, Germany is facing a growing urban nitrogen oxide pollution problem that has been linked to the dominance of diesel cars on its roads. Last year, around 70 of the country’s cities exceed EU limits for NOx.

The German Government opposes the banning of vehicles from city centres because of the impact it can have on economic productivity and lower-income drivers, who are more likely to use older vehicles.

Germany’s tough stance against diesel comes in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal, which came to light in 2015 when Volkswagen was found to be using emissions test cheat software. It has been one of Europe’s most outspoken countries on the subject.

It's not so simple it seems. There is apparently a word in there suggesting it has to be commensurate/proportional. It was on the radio here of course. German law offices are probably all popping champagne corks at the thought of business to come.

Ok the CO2 is up, but you don't get lung fibrosis and carcinoma from CO2 like you can from NO2! IMHO the commercials including buses are far more to blame than cars.

Nor can you get skin cancer from NO2 like you can from the Co2 which is a greenhouse gas that attacks the ozone layer, nor will you be able to drive your EV anywhere as the roads will be flooded due to rising sea levels.

Ok the CO2 is up, but you don't get lung fibrosis and carcinoma from CO2 like you can from NO2! IMHO the commercials including buses are far more to blame than cars.

Nor can you get skin cancer from NO2 like you can from the Co2 which is a greenhouse gas that attacks the ozone layer, nor will you be able to drive your EV anywhere as the roads will be flooded due to rising sea levels.